Sticky Salmon with Mango Salad

Wow, did I get sidetracked with The Protein Trio. There was just so much other goodness happening. But in case you were following along with Hot Honey ‘Baked Fried’ Chicken and then Rabbit/Chicken Cassoulet, the third protein in our protein trio is this sticky salmon. I paired it with a side salad/salsa that bears some resemblance to The Florida Salad of this summer where mangoes and avocados abound! The baked fried chicken is for the kids, the rabbit cassoulet is for cozy adults, and the sticky salmon is for date night.

what you need

1 avocado, diced small

1 mango, diced small

1 jalapeno, diced super small

2 tablespoons of red onion, diced super small

1 cup romaine lettuce, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

juice from 1 lime

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup basmati rice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons salted butter

how to make it - read it thru first!

marinate the salmon. combine onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, brown sugar, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl and mix. Prepare your salmon pieces on a baking sheet on tinfoil and set each piece on a small pat of salted butter. Rub the tops with the spice mixture and let sit for a couple hours.

bake the salmon. depending on the thickness of your fish and desired doneness, the time for this can be variable. My go-to is 15 minutes on 350 then check it. I like just a little pink in the middle and my salmon is typically about 1-1.5 inches thick. Leave a little room to broil the salmon on high for 1-2 minutes after to crisp up the top (especially the brown sugar).

while the salmon is baking, prepare the rice according to the package. 1 cup rice, 1 3/4 cups water, a dash of salt, and 1 tablespoon of salted butter. Simmer for 15 is typically how my basmati goes down.

make the salsa salad. combine the avocado, mango, jalapeno, red onion, romaine lettuce, and fresh cilantro in a bowl and toss gently. Drizzle with the juice from 1 lime, perhaps a smidge of olive oil, and sprinkle with a dash of cumin. Your salad is all set.

serve. spoon the rice into a bowl and pile that salsa salad alongside it. When the salmon comes out of the oven, throw a nice juicy piece on top of your rice. And you’ve got yourself the perfect salmon bowl. Enjoy!